Remote detection of metal anomalies on Pilot Mountain, Randolph County, North Carolina

Pilot Mountain, a hydrothermally altered monadnock within the Carolina slate belt, contains areas of anomalously high amounts of Cu, Mo, and Sn in the soils. Leaves of canopy trees in the mineralized zone also contain more copper than trees in a nearby control area. Spectral data were processed using a wave-form analysis technique to minimize background noise caused by canopy variations and slope effects. Areas of spectral changes in the chlorophyll absorption region seem to correlate well with areas containing anomalous metals.